1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a comfort enhancing vest system and more particularly pertains to enabling the selective application of warmth to various portions of a wearer's body through repositionable warming envelopes and thermal packets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of garments of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, garments of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of warming the body of a wearer through known methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,779 issued Aug. 13, 1991 to Barry relates to a Therapeutic Garment. Barry utilizes heat packets in pockets fixedly stitched to the outside of a garment. Barry does not provide for repositionable interior and exterior pockets and packets nor does Barry provide for packets and pockets at various elevations at the front and sides. U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,789 issued Apr. 20, 1976 to Konz relates to a Dry Ice Cooling Jacket. Konz utilizes cooling packets in pockets positionable at predetermined locations on the inside of a garment. Konz does not provide for repositionable interior and exterior pockets and packets nor does Konz provide for packets and pockets at various elevations at the front and back and sides. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0036304 published Feb. 16, 2006 to Cordani relates to a Thermal Garment System and Method of Using the Same. Cordani utilizes cooling packets in pockets positionable at predetermined locations on the sides of a garment. Cordani does not provide for repositionable interior and exterior pockets and packets nor does Cordani provide for packets and pockets at various elevations at the front and back and sides. U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,144 issued Feb. 25, 1997 to Simmons relates to a Heating Garment with Pouch for Accommodating Inserted Heating Packets. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 7,022,950 issued Apr. 4, 2006 to Haas relates to a Thermal Warming Device.
Nothing in the prior art allows for providing different temperatures to different parts of the human body elevationally as well as circumferentially. The present invention provides for such different temperatures both elevationally as well as circumferentially. The benefits from such different temperatures are considered evidenced by the Declaration of Expert Witness Under 35 U.S.C. 1.132 submitted in the parent patent application of the present application. The subject matter of such Declaration is incorporated by reference into this patent application.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a comfort enhancing vest system that allows for enabling the selective application of warmth to various portions of a wearer's body through repositionable warming envelopes and thermal packets.
In this respect, the comfort enhancing vest system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of enabling the selective application of warmth to various portions of a wearer's body through repositionable warming envelopes and thermal packets.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved comfort enhancing vest system which can be used for enabling the selective application of warmth to various portions of a wearer's body through repositionable warming envelopes and thermal packets. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.